Unemployment decreased 28,800 (4.6%) to 598,200. The number of persons looking for full-time work decreased 22,000 (4.9%) to 423,800 and the number of persons looking for part-time work decreased 6,800 to 174,500.

Aggregate monthly hours worked increased 6.6 million hours to 1,633.9 million hours.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE

Release Date

May 2012

7 June 2012

June 2012

12 July 2012

July 2012

9 August 2012

August 2012

6 September 2012

September 2012

11 October 2012

October 2012

8 November 2012

ROUNDING

Estimates of monthly change shown on the front cover have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movements obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.

SAMPLING ERROR

The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Published estimates and the movements derived from them are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of sampling variability (see Standard Errors for further information). The interval bounded by two standard errors is the 95% confidence interval, which provides a way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates. There is a 95% chance that the true value of the estimate lies within that interval.

MOVEMENTS IN SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SERIES BETWEEN MARCH 2012 AND APRIL 2012

Monthly change

95% Confidence interval

Total Employment

15 500

-39 300

to

70 300

Total Unemployment

-28 800

-61 400

to

3 800

Unemployment rate

-0.2 pts

-0.4 pts

to

0.0 pts

Participation rate

-0.1 pts

-0.5 pts

to

0.3 pts

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070, email client.services@abs.gov.au or Labour Force on Canberra (02) 6252 6525, email labourforce@abs.gov.au.

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